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“Dial M for Murdoch” by Tom Watson to be published this week

April 16, 2012 9:07 am

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“Dial M for Murdoch” – Tom Watson’s long awaited book on the phone hacking scandal (written with Martin Hickman) is out this Thursday. Here’s a picture of the cover. We’ll bring you more news on the book when we get it.

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  • http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone

    Well done Mr Watson for helping to expose the rotten heart of the U.K. Establishment.

    The nail was hit on the head with the suggestion that James Murdoch was: “the first mafia boss in history who didn’t know he was running a criminal enterprise.”

    • treborc1

      I will accept that Tom Watson did well doing what MP’s should be doing.

      But writing a book now before he retires.

      • http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone

        “doing what MP’s should be doing”

        Let’s hope others will follow his example, particularly with regard to Afghnistan – a war where politicians prefer to save face rather than save lives.

        • treborc1

          You have to remember what one Minister stated about Iraq, it keeps 10,000 people employed in the UK.

          Wars make money.

  • Daniel Speight

     I have no idea whether Tom Watson is a good man or a good MP. What I do admire about him is that he stood up to the power of Rupert Murdoch. We have enough hints, quotes and statements to know that News International’s dealings with politicians did (does) at times get very close to blackmail. Watson and just one or two other MPs have been prepared to take Murdoch on and with luck will win and see Murdoch and others imprisoned.

    (Yes I know odds are against seeing the old man do time. In News International the buck tends to stop rather  low down.)

    • Dave Postles

      ‘Justice’ can be meted out in a number of ways, not least now there is a transatlantic dimension with prospective hacking cases in the US:

      1 shareholder revolt and financial collapse; and
      2 discrediting of Fox News.

    • AlanGiles

      Imagine “Mr Rupert” in the dock of the Old Bailey. After that performance in the Commons last year, I’m sure he would do a tour-de-force as a cross between Albert Steptoe and Young Mr Grace. :-)

      It’s a lovely thought though: “‘ear ‘Arold – this is the most humble day of my life”

      • Holly

        He may not be in the dock alone, so don’t gloat.
        I find this a shameful episode, and it was not only Murdoch titles doing this, other news groups did it also.
        The least we the people can do, is hold the lot of them to the same standards.
        Otherwise we ourselves have none.

        • AlanGiles

          Who is gloating?. Any corrupt public official if there is enough evidence against them should be in the dock. That includes MPs and ministers and former ministers – Labour, Conservative and LibDem, I hasten to add.

          • Holly

            All the ‘Albert Steptoe & son’ rubbish!
            Figure it out.
            Who does not want this going to court?
            The likes of Murdoch, ex Murdoch employees/news groups?
            The police?
            The politicians?
            Do ex Murdoch employees have, or could they give, evidence that drops one, or both of the other two parties in the frame?
            Can the police/politicians prove it was only Murdoch’s bods that were corrupt/acting illegally, without incriminating themselves?
            Not exactly rocket science.
            The whole thing stinks.
            Gloating about how Murdoch may look in the dock at any future trial is far too premature, and so is assuming it could be proven, without a shadow of a doubt, he knew about what journo’s were doing, re hacking, going by the behaviour of the police, or the fact they are also in this up to their necks, does not fill me with confidence for some reason.

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  • Bill Lockhart

    If Tom Watson isn’t careful, he’ll be getting politicians a good name. In terms of public trust, the cleaning of the Augean stable of  Murdoch/party/police corruption is IMO the single most important challenge facing our democracy

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  • Winston_from_the_Ministry

    Long awaited?

  • Mr Chippy

    Be careful what you wish for as some of this excretia is going to wash on Labour Party shores. Look at the links between newly minted influence peddler and former No10 advisor Tim Allan and Murdoch. Allan left N010 to work for News International. Close friends of Purnell who helped destabilise Brown (although he did a good job himself) and Miliband D who the Sun supported for the Labour leadership. Allan was also close to Ed Richards now DG of media regulator Ofcom.

    • Holly

      Agree.
      And those praising Watson for his sterling work should REALLY  have a look at the Operation Motorman stuff.
      No one comes out smelling of roses.
      The press/journo’s, the police, politicians…All the institutions the British people trusted, looked up to by many other nations, were in fact NOTHING at all to look up to.
      There is a triangle/pyramid….The press….The police…and the politicians.
      Who, out of those involved, will be on the top? 
      What I find the most shocking(after the Milly Dowler hacking) is the payments to the police.
      It is alleged that the Murdoch bods were the one’s corrupting the police, but as far as I’m concerned it is the police’s absolute duty to caution, warn or prosecute anyone offering ‘bribes’ or payments to curry favours. Here they dismally failed the ‘corruption test’, failed to uphold the law, and are worse than the alleged  corrupter’s, as it was they who were corrupt.
      A very murky affair indeed.
      Will Operation Motorman be put back into storage?

      • AlanGiles

        Andy Heyman was a senior Met police officer who retired at a very early age. The next month he started writing a column for the News Of The World. Of course, that is not to say that these events are connected….

        • Holly

          See what I mean.
          Is it the NOTW employing a retired Met officer, (who, until this broke, I believed were upholding the law of the land) that is wrong here, or the allegations that Met police officers took payments/bribes from a newspaper group…..It was happening with other news groups NOT just Murdoch’s.
          Why single out Andy Heyman? 
          Ex NOTW journo’s went on to do work for the Met and visa versa.
          If one is rotten then so is the other.
          The stuff got by journo’s illegally happened more with one news group than it did at the Murdoch group, and I find BOTH groups EQUALLY
          shameful.
          I find the police behaviour an absolute kick in the guts and the thing usually described as ‘rocking the foundations to the core’.
          IF the police had upheld the law of the land, as that is their sole purpose, and at least cautioned the ‘briber’ on what British law is, we would not be having this conversation.
          The police failed in their absolute duty to uphold the law, and were best placed to stop illegal payments/bribes.
          They didn’t, as a ‘body’.
          Heyman was cleared of any wrongdoing, just found to be a lazy bod.
          Did he, like me, trust the officers he put on the review of the previous inquiry, who came back and told him, ‘no new evidence had come to light’?
          Now we have another TOP police bod, in charge of the current inquiry, under review, because some of the evidence she gave to Leveson could jeopardise any future trial….Now why would a top police bod do that????
          Not Heyman or Murdoch..A top police bod in charge of an important enquiry.
          See what I mean?
          I don’t trust ANY of them, whichever part of the triangle/pyramid they are.
          Makes me mad as hell to be honest.
          The more you play out the facts known to date in your mind, the more it ends up that they were ALL corrupt, ALL knew what was going on and worst of all, thought they would never be found out.

          • Daniel Speight

             We should insist that the Motorman files are released. It’s not something I often do, but all praise to Guido Fawkes for getting the ball rolling.

          • AlanGiles

            Of course you can be sure that more than one company was involved, but News International were especially brazen about it.Especially ruthless with anyone who dared to try to stand up to them. They had undue influence in that they were cosy with both the Thatcher and Blair governments.

            In the 70s the Daily Mail was famous – infamous – for “chequebook journalism”, the 90s and early 2000s were the years when Murdoch and his merry men ran amok.

            BTW what is a “bod”  – you keep using the word

          • Holly

            Bod….
            A word I have used for ages when referring to someone from a certain group..usually in a derogatory way.
            Banker bod(s), Union bod(s), Tory bod(s), Labour bod(s).
            Better than bar steward or the like….
            Artichoke & sugar lump are others I use when around children and can not swear.
            Or calling one of my cats when they act like one….
            The cat is acting like an Artichoke…..Ar** *ole
            Oh/you, Sugar lump….S**t.
            No one is offended. And it’s not swearing.

          • Holly

            My last reply has been ‘eaten’, by the bods upstairs I think.  A bod is someone belonging to a group.
            Police bod.
            Banking bod.
            Financial expert bods…
            I’ve been using it for years. for ‘bodies’ who tell lies, nick all our money …..And eat our replies…
            They are either bad bods, as listed above, or if dumped on by the bad bods….Who lie, steal, or eat replies, we are the everyday/man in the street, bods.
            Bet you’re glad you asked now. 

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  • AnnajoyDavid

     Tom Watson is owed  a debt of gratitude on two counts; first to show us that politicans do stand up and are counted upon to be honourable and to seek out  the truth  in this case at great personal sacrific and secondly for busting open a corrupt media  with bullying practices which has no place in a modern democractic society.

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